Revealed: Sylvia Plath's unseen art, discovered in the attic

Paintings and drawings by Sylvia Plath, many of which have never been seen before, are to be published in October to mark the 75th anniversary of the birth of the American poet and novelist.

In the book Eye Rhymes: Sylvia Plath's Art of the Visual, editor Kathleen Connors reveals illustrated childhood letters that Plath wrote when she was seven, which were found in the Plath family attic in 1996. There are also schoolbook sketches, portraits and a series of photographs and paintings from when Plath was an art student at Smith College, Massachusetts, including this self-portrait. The works were all completed by the time Plath was 20, at which point she decided to concentrate on her writing.

As Connors points out, it was no small decision. "While few would argue with Plath's career choice, it is unfortunate she dropped her Smith college studio courses just as she was developing her famous literary themes in art," she says. "The limited life options for women, and the marriage of military and commercial cultures during the 1950s, for example, are beautifully depicted in her late artwork."

Connors will discuss the book in person on October 14 at the Cheltenham literary festival, with one of Plath's friends, poet and critic Al Alvarez, and actor Diana Quick, who will read a selection of her poetry. In addition, there is a planned concert reading at the Royal Festival Hall for which musicans such as Patti Smith and Alanis Morissette and actors, including Alan Rickman, have been approached to participate.

Another actor said to be keen to take part is Julia Stiles, who is to star in and produce a film version of Plath's book The Bell Jar.

"A lot of people think of Sylvia Plath as being this dark, brooding soul because of her history," says Stiles. "Actually, her writing was different. She writes with beautiful imagery, and I think the vibrant images she describes in The Bell Jar are perfect for a film - maybe even more so than a novel."